Kids Will Be Hunted
by morninsunshines
Summary: Sequel to story "Above The Quarry"  Has more Max, Skye and Josh, along with Taylor and Washington.  The young people decide to go OTG again.
1. Chapter 1

I had so much fun creating my version of Terra Nova characters I'll do several themed stories with what I've started in "Above The Quarry" universe and carry on with other stories. If one is linked I'll mention it as another continuing story. This is another linked story. All my stories will carry on the same theme of present/past to keep continuity. Takes place right after Above The Quarry.

Above The Quarry

Kids Will Be Hunted

The insistent buzzing of his communicator finally pierced the deep slumber of Jim Shannon, "Shannon," his voice slurred as he tried to rouse from his sleep.

"Shannon," The gravelly voice of Commander Taylor cut into the dark room, "I need you at the clinic. Bring the doctor and your boy."

"Okay, what's up?" Shannon threw his legs off the bed and sat up.

"I'll show you when you get here, Taylor out."

Shannon shook Liz's shoulder drawing a moan from her.

"We're needed," he grabbed his pants.

"I heard,"

"Josh, wake up," Shannon shook his son's shoulder.

"Go away," Josh had helped close the bar and had been sleeping for about an hour.

"Come on, Taylor needs us. Something you're involved in, again."

"I didn't do anything, I swear," Josh struggled off the bed.

Within minutes the Shannon's entered the brightly lit clinic. Their attention was drawn to Josh's new friend, Max. His dark body was bare except for a cloth covering his loins. Elizabeth Shannon immediately took charge, calling for information on his condition and checking the medical scanner herself. The scan that hovered above Max's body showed a broken fibula just above his right ankle. The muscle damage over the break showed evidence Max had used his leg to take the blunt force of an altercation where his flesh lost the battle to something harder. There were burns here and there on his torso, small and round like something hot had been used to sear the flesh.

Taylor turned his attention to the Shannon men, "Do you know anything about what happened here, Josh?" Josh tore his gaze from the battered body to the commander. This version of Commander Taylor always scared him. Gone was the friendly, ready to smile leader. In his place was the warrior, a predator, coiled to strike. Behind him, a more casual stance of Lieutenant Washington, and two male soldiers standing off to the side out of the way of the medical staff and their commanding officers.

"Josh," his father prompted him, "the commander asked you a question."

"He was found at the edge of the woods. The guards saw something and took a rover to investigate," Taylor motioned to Max, "They found him crawling towards the compound. Unfortunately he passed out before they could get anything out of him." Taylor had spoken before Josh could formulate a reply.

"He must have been with Skye." Josh flashed a glance at the commander and quickly looked away. He didn't want to be scrutinized by the commander like this.

"What'd Skye do this time?" Taylor had remembered seeing them together near the market earlier in what was now the previous day.

Josh decided if Skye had something to do with what happened to Max, he had better confess all he knew. If he was wrong the worse Skye would be was mad at him for breaking her confidence. He could see out of the corner of his eye, Lieutenant Washington give an order to one of the soldiers and he quickly left.

"Skye wanted to go OTG this afternoon and wanted me to ditch work and go with her," Josh hated being put in this situation.

"Where was she going?" The commander didn't sound mad, just an officer used to answers when he ask a question.

"She said she wanted to go to a cave. One you used to live in years ago," Josh needn't say anything else. He saw both commanders share a look.

"Could have been Sixers," Washington offered the most obvious explanation to her commander.

"Could have been someone else also," was his private reply to her. Her nod of understanding ended their open discussion.

"Did you talk to Max yesterday?" Commander Taylor returned his attention to Josh, then back to Max as Josh shook his head in the negative.

Josh tried to remember his conversations yesterday regarding Skye.

"_Hi Josh," Skye sat next to him on the shaded picnic table bench nestled under a large tree just off to the side of the market area. Her interest more than a platonic in the way her eyes ran over him._

"_Skye," his only acknowledgement. Something about her bugged him, he just couldn't put it together in his head, which was in a constant duel with his hormones. _

"_You ready to go OTG again?" _

"_You have to be kidding. I just got done with my last grounding, and I don't have the money to move out yet. I do anything else right now and Dad may make the choice for me," Josh shook his head. He couldn't believe her._

"_Oh come on. We're not going back to the still. Think of it as a field trip," the young men in the colony usually ended up doing what she wanted and nothing was off limits for her, "Don't tell anyone, but I want to go to the cave the first pilgrimage lived in."_

"_Why would you want to go to that place?" Josh couldn't remember the details, just Maddy rambling back in 2149 as she researched anything she could find about Terra Nova. He never planned on coming here and book learning wasn't high on his list either._

"_Because I've never been, reason enough," she ran her hand seductively down his arm, "How could I convince you to come?" her silky suggestion letting him know exactly what she was willing to do._

_Josh stood up faster than he intended, "Not this trip, Skye. I have to get to work," he headed in in the direction of the bar._

"_Hey Josh," he looked back, "Don't tell anyone, okay," a plea that he couldn't decipher. Was she asking or threatening. He nodded without a word._

The only other conversation Josh could remember was after he entered the bar.

_Josh bounced down the steps into the dim bar as Boylan called a warm greeting. Josh responded with a nod. Boylan's expertise at reading people told him that Josh was preoccupied._

_Finally after sweeping the floor, Josh approached Boylan ready to talk. "Seems like if I go one way I get in trouble and if I go the opposite direction, the results will probably be the same." _

_Boylan, an expert integrator found a challenge; find out what the boy was talking about. "Well it would depend on the situation. If it's minor, then I wouldn't worry, but," he paused for effect, "If someone gets hurt and it's found out you could have had it avoided, well, those latrines don't smell so good."_

_Josh sighed. "I told someone I wouldn't tell on them."_

"_I wouldn't consider telling me as someone," Boylan soothed Josh. He continued, "I hear all kinds of things tending bar. You don't see me spreading it all over town," his smile as sincere as he could make it._

"_Don't tell anyone," Boylan mimicked the zipping of his lips. "Skye told me she was going to a cave. It was the one the first people here lived in."_

_Boylan nodded, "Many fond memories of that place, no desire to go back though. Terra Nova's much homier," his smile was infectious. "She go alone, my boy?"_

_Josh shrugged, "I don't know, may have went with her roomies as she asked me, or maybe they refused and that's why she asked me." He found talking to Boylan much easier than his dad. Here he wasn't going to be punished for speaking his mind. So with Boylan paying special attention to him, "Why does Commander Taylor let her get away with so much? She's always pushing the boundaries and he never seems to notice. You don't suppose…..Oh, never mind," a stray thought crossed Josh's mind and he was embarrassed to utter it."_

"_What don't I suppose?" Boylan used his soothing interrogator tone, prying without appearing to._

"_You don't think her and the commander, you know," he hoped Boylan could figure out what he was talking about._

_Boylan's laugh indicated he caught Josh's train of thought. "I think he's a little too old for her. Besides, you know the commander. Look at how he makes Reynolds treat your sister."_

"_Well then, why does he cut Skye so much slack?"_

"_She was just old enough to be on her own when her parents died. He took over as a surrogate, that's all." Boylan wasn't about to tell this kid all he knew about the Commander and a certain Lieutenant. _

"_That's where I'm confused, he expects Mark to act one way and let's Skye act anyway she wants." Josh didn't like the duel standard and was beginning to think the bartender had to be wrong about their relationship._

"_Oh, I've seen her suck up to the commander, then throw herself at his soldiers behind his back. Like I said, Taylor feels bad for her circumstances, nothing more." Customers started trickling in._

From the command center balcony overlooking the market and main gate, Commander Nathaniel Taylor leaned against the rails, his forearms bracing his upper body. He was taking a much needed break from putting together the eleventh pilgrimage. Each time a group came through the portal, it seemed larger than the last. More houses and everything to care for these folks was a daunting task. He had delegated all but the final decisions, like who was coming. He still controlled all military acquisitions. But now he was mentally on a break and his mind wandered to more pleasant pursuits. He let his mind wander until it settled on 'his Wash', like most off duty thoughts drifted. She was OTG for the day, with her newest soldiers on field training. He hadn't been with her lately as they were both drawn in opposing directions after she returned to normal duties after injuring her ankle, he bound to a desk and her desperately training for the upcoming standoff he felt in his gut was coming. If she weren't too tired, he would give her their special signal that he wanted to visit that night. For now a little daydreaming wouldn't hurt and he picked up where he left off a few weeks before in the communication room.

_The years had passed so quickly, ten in a few days since her return to him. But on to more sensual thoughts, their hurried encounter in the women's locker room. He remembered afterwards apologizing for his lack of control and not waiting to see if she wanted to have a relationship with him before f***king her on that bench. He had lost control and she had responded in kind, pulling him to herself, wrapping her legs around his buttocks as he plunged into her, his lips sucking on her neck, tongue licking her salty skin combined with her unique taste. He could still hear her moaning his given name like it was yesterday. He remembered kissing her after they both had used each other for gratification. He didn't want to stop, but here they were, naked in a public room. He knew that would get around fast if they were discovered. Funny, he didn't think about that a few minutes earlier. In fact he would have ordered everyone out._

"_I better go shower," Nathanial sucked Alicia's lower lip between his teeth. Her answer was to insert her tongue into his mouth. He momentarily forgot what was so important._

"_Alicia," Taylor pulled his head back keeping his hands firmly on her butt, fingers massaging lightly, "I…." _

"_You better get out of here. We'll talk outside," she reluctantly let him go and watched as he pulled his workout pants on scooping up everything else. They gazed at each other for a moment before he slipped out to his own side of the lockers to shower alone._

_They met in the hallway, both fully dressed in uniforms. Taylor looked around seeing nobody about, continued, "I don't want this to be a 'one time' event, Wash. I didn't plan on this either, it just happened, but I'd be lying if I didn't say if felt real good."_

"_It took two to make that happen Nathaniel," he like the way she said his name. "I've been so lonely since Somalia. Everything was suddenly gone and I was lying in that hospital bed with strangers. I tried to find out what happened back in Somalia, but nobody wanted to upset me. That was the hardest part, not knowing. I didn't know who lived or died. I finally had enough, checked out and left. Then I found out that you lived and Alynnie didn't. I was devastated for a long time that I got their too late." He remembered wanting to hold her, but for properties sake stood a respectful distance, letting her talk. "I went to California, spent most days sitting on an empty beach watching the putrid water destroy what's left of the beaches. I was able to find what happened in Somalia. It took time for me to want to come back, but in the end…being a soldier is all I know, or all I want." She smiled into his face, "I know what happened wasn't planned. Best welcome back present I could get. I hope you don't welcome all your female officer's back like that, Sir," she ended with a joke._

_Taylor remembered closing the distance between them and was sure the security cameras caught him leaning in and saying something private, an inappropriate punch to his shoulder then dual laughs. Addison. He hadn't thought about her in so long. Carno got her about four months after the first waive came through. She was a major with his unit. She had broken her wrist in Somalia. He had softly suggested to Wash that maybe he should pay Addison a visit and gotten a punch. Wash, his best friend outside his wife and now with Alynnie gone, it had been almost normal to switch his lust to the next person he felt as strongly for. Ten years and he still had to watch himself that he didn't lose control and drag her off like he had in '39. _

Josh Shannon jumping up caught Taylor's attention. He watched the boy exchange a few words with Skye then leave. Time to get back to work.


	2. Chapter 2

"This is awesome," Max's headlamp shone wherever his head turned. The large cave was black inside without the power strips that used to illuminate the side walls. Useless discarded equipment littered the main area, abandoned in place where the commander hadn't utilized the manpower to move it to Terra Nova. Most showed signs of dinosaur teeth marks. Max, Hunter and Skye slowly walked towards the back, the dank smell getting stronger as air movement was non-existent. Smaller rooms had been cut in the rock. Piles of rock shaped into foundations of beds lined the walls.

"Looks comfy," Skye's sarcasm broke the silence.

"Here, look at this," Hunter's excited call drew Max and Skye to follow his voice. At the back of the cavern they found yet another hole where there were lights, turned off. Carefully placed pieces of equipment looked un-damaged. Hunter hit the light switch. There was just enough light to move around. Skye saw the same symbols on the walls and rocks that she had witnessed at the falls and felt a chill that had nothing to do with the cool climate in the cave.

"I think we should leave now. This looks like someone's using it," she herded her companions to the front. They stepped out into the sunshine and took in the sight of what it must have been like every morning for two years for the first pilgrimage and year for the second. They took in the river in front of them, the green water looking like something they would see in pictures in the future. As a group they slowly pivoted to take in the scenery including the hill over the entrance and jumped. Sitting on a rock outcropping about fifty feet above their location was a young man wearing armor of a soldier of Terra Nova. No expression or greeting, just staring.

"Do you know who he is?" whispered Max towards Skye. He knew she was familiar with almost all the soldiers and civilians, both past and present.

Skye took in the well worn suit, medium brown hair and good looking features. She couldn't see his eyes from this distance. "No, I've never seen him."

"Hello, I'm Skye. I'm from Terra Nova," she had a way with people, could talk them into anything or herself out of trouble. This should be no different. He was a man, she was a woman. Again, no reaction.

"Look, we were just leaving. If you want we'd like to talk to you. You know, you look like you've been here a long time, must be lonely."

His constant stare was un-nerving her companions. "Come on," Max tugged on Skye's arm, "Let's get out of here. Whoever he is, the commander probably kicked him out of the community. Might be a bad dude."

"He maybe hasn't seen a person in years," Skye was intrigued. This had to be the person drawing the strange designs, but who was he. She didn't remember seeing him around the Sixers or Terra Nova before. The commander never mentioned another soldier he had banished. Kerin had just been kicked out and she knew him.

"Come down and visit," Skye smiled and gestured. Without warning, the strange young man pulled his pistol, aimed and shot her in the chest. The blast picked her up and threw her unconscious body backwards a good thirty feet. She landed, rolled and dropped the few feet into the river.

Max and Hunter froze, then ran after Skye and jumped into the river. Hunter looked back to see if they were pursued and the man was gone. Hunter looked back and saw Skye floating face down, the current carrying her away. He looked for Max who was terrified, his large eyes glazed with shock and fear.

"Skye," Max looked around at Hunters shout. Together they swam towards her. Rolling a soaked body wasn't easy, but they managed. "To shore," Hunter instructed and they felt for the bottom. It wasn't too deep, about four feet so they moved her to the shore keeping in the water and brush for cover. Hunter checked for a pulse and nodded to Max.

"What do we do now?" Max whispered.

Hunter licked his lips as he opened Skye's shirt. No wound was found or blood. "He stunned her, no holes." Hunter was too scared to be glad. "We have to carry her or hole up until she comes to." He felt her ribs and to his dismay the left side gave away under his pressure. "Blast broke ribs, we can't move her. I don't know what to do," Hunter moaned.

"What if I go for help," Max hoped Hunter would agree so he could rush back to the safety of the compound. Hunter thought for a moment then nodded. "Help me get her out." Together the boys drug Skye into the tall grass just off the river. "Crawl until you're in the trees. Don't want that psycho finding us."

Max nodded as he crawled away. Hunter lay down beside Skye wondering once again what she had gotten them into. It seemed so harmless at the time.

Max crawled into the trees, jumped and ran for all he was worth. He picked up the well used trail they had hiked in on and was sure he could make the trip without stopping as they were in the hills not far away from home. They had hiked not being able to barrow a rover. The ban was still in place for now. Max ran by a small outcrop, skirted the rocks then headed towards the trees. The blast to his shoulder knocked him off his feet. He rolled in agony, but managed not to pass out. A shadow blocked the sun and he was looking up at the man who shot Skye, close enough to look into his piercing blue eyes.

"Please," Max pleaded, "We don't mean no harm, just out for a walk." He saw a staff in the right hand of his attacker. He screamed as a hot bolt shot through him leaving a burn where the end had encountered skin. He rolled and the stick was poked at him again and again. Finally Max curled in a fetal position, too hurt to move anymore.

With one final swipe of the staff, his attacker disappeared up the trail. Max remembered lifting a leg in an attempt to protect his battered body. The crack of his bone breaking could be heard resounding off the rocks. Max passed out. It was dark when he came to. The cry of a predator skulking nearby caused him to try and sit up. He lost any food left in his stomach from the pain and nausea. Max tried to stand and his right leg buckled. He cried out in pain. Not wanting to be eaten by whatever most likely would pick up his scent, he started crawling in the direction of Terra Nova. Soon his bloody knees left a spotted trail, but he didn't stop, every time his right knee moved, dragging his useless lower limb, he felt bile. He lost track of the times the bile forced its way up and out. One thought, keep moving, get help. Max felt something grab his shoulder and was sure a caurno would feed tonight. He remembered looking into the face of a soldier telling him he was safe before everything went black again.

Taylor looked up from studying the injuries on the young man as his returning soldier reported, "Sir, Tasha Guzman was the only one at the house. She worked the evening shift and said she knew Skye was missing as she looked in on her before retiring. She didn't know the men were missing. She told me she figured Skye had spent the night elsewhere. That's all, Sir."

Josh saw the commander frown at this last part. Maybe he didn't like her fooling around on him. He was getting tired, "Can I leave now?"

Taylor remembered Josh was still waiting, "Anything else, something you forgot?"

A sleep deprived Josh snapped back. He should have said no. He should have showed respect, he knew it as soon as the words were out and he couldn't retract them, "I don't know where your girlfriend went to, I'm not her keeper."

A look of total surprise came over Taylor's face, then he smiled, that feral grin he used right before engaging a carnosaurus or enemy. With a glance towards Washington and Josh's equally stunned parents, the commander spoke, "Why Joshua, that young spitfire is much more suited to some young stud like yourself. I'm an old man, I need a woman who's past her prime, slowing down, getting soft," he paced in a circle so he could see Washington's expression. He never failed to amuse himself at her expense when the opportunity presented, "Right Lieutenant?"

As usual, Washington didn't respond in public to his outburst of that nature. He knew that made for a fun time the next time they got together in one of their bedrooms. She never forgot, or forgave until he repented and begged for forgiveness. He smiled in her direction before getting back to the matter at hand. "You can go. You stay," he pointed to Jim Shannon who looked like he might follow his son.

"Oh, and young man," Josh turned near the door, "I have a twenty five year old son, and companion more than ten years older than that. Nothing like what you just said to me had ever get back to my, or Lieutenant Washington's ears, or she will take you for the survival training you missed, just you and her." Josh knew a blatant threat when he heard one.

"Sorry Commander, it's just you make Reynolds be so proper with my sister and Skye is allowed to do whatever she wants. I figured she's giving some to someone high up because she can do whatever she wants." Josh hoped his attempt at an apology helped with the talk coming from his father and the probable grounding, again.

Taylor nodded, as far as he was concerned the matter was over, "I see your point, but Skye and Hunter shouldn't end up like Max here," he gestured to the bed, "just because I indulge her more than I should. Get out of here."

"Dr. Shannon, I need to talk to him," Taylor indicated to the bed.

Elizabeth Shannon injected Max with a shot and soon his eyes opened to the commander leaning over him. He saw Lieutenant Washington just behind the commander. "Max, Max," the commander's hand gripped his left shoulder and he was shaken ever so gently, "What happened?"

Max tried to speak through his raw throat, too much stomach acid left it extremely sore, "water," he croaked. Dr. Shannon pushed by the commander with a cup and straw. Even in pain, he smiled at his caregiver and she returned it, liking this young man. "Cave, you lived in," he tried to spare his throat.

The commander nodded down to him, "Was Skye and Hunter with you?"

"Yes"

"Where are they?"

"Do….Don't know," Max was looking scared again, smile gone.

"Did you get separated?"

"Skye got shot," Everyone exchanged worried looks. "Hunter stayed with her while I went for help."

"Did the Sixers do this to you," the commander was hoping.

"Don't think so," he saw the commander and second exchange a glance.

"Did you go into the cave?"

"Yes"

"This is important. Were there any drawings on the walls, designs like circles and triangles?"

"Yes"

"One more question then you can rest. What happened to Skye and Hunter?"

Max was fighting to stay awake. The pain meds were drawing him back to sleep. He started slurring, "She fell in the river. Pulled her out down….Hunter with her," Max gave in to the drugs.

Taylor looked devastated and Washington put her hand on his shoulder, comforting with her presence. He turned to her, for once forgetting who was watching, "I was so sure I did the right thing at the time, Wash," he pulled her close needing the contact, "what did I create," his rhetorical question was for her alone. Only she has shared his years of anguish over banishing his only son.

His secret companion of ten years returned his embrace then disengaged with a soft, "It'll be light in a couple hours, I'll get the convoy ready," she left without glancing at the spectators. The soldiers wouldn't talk without punishment and she knew the Shannon's were aware now that they were more, much more. As she walked to the barracks to rouse her chosen people she thought back a few days to an interesting conversation with Elizabeth Shannon.

"_You're cleared for light duty, Alicia." The two women had developed a quick friendship, were almost the same age and both had logged hours waiting together for their wayward men. Elizabeth decided to confront her new friend regarding a certain Commander. "Commander Taylor confirmed you two were," she paused looking for the right word, "involved," she didn't tell a lie, well maybe just a little white one. They had left the clinic and were wandering through the people and nobody was paying much attention to the two women chatting as they made their way back to the Shannon home. Alicia had been invited for lunch, for just the two of them._

_Alicia shrugged, "I'm surprised he would openly acknowledge more than friendship, how did you get that out of him?" Alicia had become accustom to a non-relationship, relationship. She knew the military forbad their type of union and didn't want to be the cause of demotion or removal from command for her long time lover. Those who knew for sure the relationship was far beyond platonic didn't have proof and their loyal band of core soldiers would never rat them out. Civilians were left to speculate and they didn't matter to military hierarchy. All communication from Terra Nova went through Taylor, but she had heard that Mira and maybe Lucas also were in communication with 2149._

"_You can trust both Jim and myself. After Zoe, we learned how to keep silent on important matters. Besides, with Jim and the Commander working so closely together, we are going to see a lot of each other. It doesn't matter to us what you do in your personal life. I just want you to know we are for your relationship and you don't have to be so formal around us," Elizabeth hoped Alicia would dish. She was dying to be able to ask personal questions so they could compare notes like women talking about men they love do._

_Alicia considered and slowly smiled. Alynnie had been her last civilian friend and that hadn't been fair because she was the daughter of a general and grew up in a military home. Alicia would have to go back to her teenage years to remember a female friend who was a civilian. Someone to just hang out with on equal footing. She felt like she had found her new close friend in Elizabeth Shannon. She knew Nathaniel felt the same about Jim, so it was natural they should form a foursome._

"_What do you want to know?" as close as Alicia would come to an open admission, "and remember, I get to ask as many embarrassing questions as I have to answer," both women laughed together._

Commander Taylor looked around the clinic first to Max, then across to the next bed that contained Skye. Hunter was also present sitting on the far side of Skye putting as much distance as he could between himself and the irate commander.

"Banning hasn't worked, latrine duty hasn't worked," the commander was sorry in what he was about to say, "You're young, you want adventure. You don't count the cost. You have twice put my soldiers at risk going after you. No more. You are free to go OTG, I won't stop you. I will stand inside the gate and watch a caurno eat you, but I am putting the order out, no help. You are old enough to make your own choices and live with the consequences, or die with them." He turned without another word and left them to ponder his pledge.

Jim Shannon made his usual noisy entrance into the command center. Nobody was inside and a lone guard stood without. He backed out, "Where is he?" as if the guard should know.

"The commander and the Lieutenant left as few minutes ago, Sir,"

"Which way?"

"Towards the rovers," the guard gestured in the direction the rovers were housed.

Shannon turned in that direction, hoping to catch them before they decided to go OTG, or rather he wanted to ask Taylor about a rumor Josh had heard Boylan mention in passing. In his little talk with Josh, he learned that once a year Taylor and Washington would leave the compound and be gone all day and not return until after dark. He also learned that it was the same day every year. Even when they were living in the cave, those two would disappear on that one day. Being the typical snoopy cop, he couldn't just let it drop. He wanted to know what they were up to and what was so special about that day.

He found them putting gear in the commanders personal rover, "So, a little bird told me you two may be OTG tomorrow," not exactly a question.

"Ah, Shannon, I was going to put you in charge tomorrow. I know how much you like all that power," Taylor joked at him.

"Un-uh, not until you tell me why both of you have to be gone together."

"I'm going to scrounge food for tomorrow," Wash smiled at Jim, escaping having to give an answer as she hurried off.

Taylor started to give his usual BS answer then remembered it was okay to tell Shannon the truth. Having hid it for so long made his paten lie believable. The truth, he never told to anyone. It was foreign territory in this subject, "First tell me who leaked?"

Shannon had no love for Boylan, easy choice, "Boylan told Josh you and Wash always took one day a year, the same day, and went off together. Just so happens that day is tomorrow."

Taylor let out a small smile, "It's a date, an official date, not for public knowledge, just between the two of us," Shannon nodded.

"Same day every year, sounds like an anniversary to me?" Shannon felt he nailed the 'date'.

Taylor closed up the rover and they walked together back in the direction of the market, "It is, of sorts," Taylor admitted.

"You're secretly married, I knew it," Shannon slapped him on the back.

"No," a quiet no that told Shannon that might have been wished for, "we take the day Wash and I got back together after Somalia and celebrate. For us, it is an anniversary. A new start," he fished in his pocket and pulled out his tag. With the flick of a button, a picture popped into view.

Shannon let out a whistle, "Are those metals what I think they are?" he pointed to the upper left on Wash's uniform. Taylor sported the same metals and more, but Shannon didn't know that the second in command had definitely earned her stripes the hard way.

"The day the President pinned them on," Taylor smiled. He went to cut the picture off and his finger slipped and the second picture popped into view. "Damn," Taylor cut that picture, but not before Shannon got a glimpse and started howling in laughter. "You didn't see that one or I'll make sure if your wife wants sex, Malcom will be the only functioning male around her."

Shannon still chuckling, "Where'd that one get taken?"

"One I took when she wasn't looking. She doesn't know about that one, and she better not find out," a not so veiled threat.

"I gotta get me one of those tags. Not with those pictures," at Taylors look, "I wouldn't mind some of my wife."

"I can arrange for you to have one, Shannon. So now that you know why Wash and I enjoy one day a year, will you help?"

"Of course," they shared a nod, nothing else said.

The End


End file.
